 listening library presents who was Abraham Lincoln by Janet Pascal read for you by Kevin Perri so who was Abraham Lincoln April 11th 1865 after four terrible years the American Civil War the war between the North and the South was almost over now it was clear that the North would win president Abraham Lincoln had fought the war to prevent the rebel South from leaving the Union he wanted the country to stay one country the United States of America from the window of the White House the president addressed the big crowd below his 12 year old son Tad was at his feet collecting the pages of the speech as the president dropped them to the floor a man in the audience called out what shall we do with the rebels someone answered hang them before the president could answer Tad piped up no we must hang on to them sometimes Tad understood his father better than anyone else president Lincoln wanted to hang on to the defeated southern states he wanted to make them feel that once again they were part of the Union he wasn't interested in revenge Lincoln was a remarkable president and a remarkable man he hoped to turn his enemies back into his friends chapter one life in a log cabin the man who was often called America's greatest president was born on February 12th 1809 in a crude log cabin in Kentucky 18 feet long and 16 feet wide it had a dirt floor and no windows his father Thomas Lincoln was hardworking and quiet and famous for his honesty he'd had little schooling just enough to sign his name